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Solelhada
Solelhada, officially the Republica Ensolelhada, is a country located primarily on the Meridic Islands, while also owning some territory on mainland Longerath. Established in 217AP, Solelhada is, together with Armatirion, one of the oldest and most stable communist countries in Vexillium. Etimology The country is most commonly known as Solelhada, the Solelhadan word for "sun ray", or by the official name Republica Ensolelhada (usually translated as "Sunny Republic" or "Sun-Bathed Republic"). In Ingallish, the forms Ensolelhada and Republic of Solelhada are sometimes used, but considered incorrect by the Solelhadan government and thus discouraged. Solelhada also has a longer, more formal name: Republica Comunista, Ensolelhada e Urosa de las Isclas d'Áur e del Miègjorn de Longerath - in Ingallish, "Communist, Sun-Bathed and Happy Republic of the Golden Islands and of Southern Longerath". Geography The territory of the Republica Ensolelhada is made up of four main islands, their nearby islets, and a large piece of mostly coastal land in the southeast of Longerath. The names of the islands, from east to west, are La Canabièra Pichona (also known as La Pichina), La Canabièra Granda (popular name: La Granda), Bargum and Argentosa. The territory in mainland Longerath is made up of two historical regions: Aigador and Morangal. Solelhada is divided in seven provinces (Morangal, Sa Costa, Alt Aigadorenc, La Canabièra Granda, La Canabièra Pichona, Bargum and Argentosa) one district (the capital city, Solelhadís) and one autonomous territory (Los Bedós). The largest city of Solelhada is Morango, which is also the seat of the provincial government of Morangal. Other large cities are the capital city of the republic, Solelhadís, and Amêndoa, the business centre of Morangal. History Originally settled by Liliance-speaking peoples, the territory of the present-day Republica Ensolelhada was a part of several Longerathian empires in classical antiquity and the middle ages. Solelhadan settlers were part of several colonization initiatives on the new continents, helping bringing Liliance culture, religions and languages to parts of southern Fiarria and northern Melania. Following The Plague, several feudal statelets emerged in the islands, such as the Duchy of Solelhadís, under the rule of the House of Enferriat, on the island of La Canabièra Granda. Other important states were the Duchy of La Vilassa, Earldom of Viça, Duchy of Ais, the Duchy of Barc and the Earldom of Tula. Over the next decades, these states were united under the Enferriats, giving origin to the Kingdom of Solelhada. The kingdom would conquer the Aigador region of southern Longerath by the end of the 1st century. At the beginning of the third century, Akitania Berria and even places across the Futuronian Ocean, such as Rosardan and Sylvian, became Solelhadan dependencies. However, these imperialist wars inflicted severe shortages to the Solelhadan people, who eventually rose up against the feudal rule in 217. The Solelhadan Revolution was quite short. In a few weeks, most urban centres were in the hands of the insurgents. The king and the royal family were shot, the aristocratic and religious leaders were imprisoned, and the First Republic was proclaimed in Solelhadís on the 23rd of October 217. All territories conquered by the kingdom were granted independence by the Revolutionary Government. The First Republic was ruled by the Solelhadan Communist Party and the Solelhadan Peasants Party, who would later unite to create the Solelhadan Workers and Peasants Party (POPS). Matiàs Rei was elected as the first president, then acclaimed as president-for-life by the Popular Assembly. His rule would see Solelhada becoming heavily industrialized at a extremely fast pace. Over the 230s, critics of this policy, under Victor Gelu, would be executed, as the Rei regime turned increasingly authoritarian and socialist Solelhada transformed into a so-called "degenerated worker's state". In 239, Geluist suporters would form the Partit del Solelh (PdS), under leadership of Joan Urós. Despite heavy persecution, PdS militants would seize control of the government after a coup in April 244, reverting the authoritarian policies of Rei and restoring true socialism to Solelhada. Urós was elected president-for-life in 245, recognizing the regional languages and granting autonomy to Los Bedós. In the late 290s, hemp becomes Solelhada's main export as more and more states end cannabis prohibition. In 299, as Angliya collapsed, Solelhada claimed the Angliyan regions inhabited by ethnic Solelhadans. On the 11th of June 299, the city of Aigador del Nord in former Angliya and the area around it became a part of Solelhada, as per the South Angliyaa Treaty signed between Angliya, Solelhada and Westria. The fact that the former Angliyan provinces are allowed to partly remain capitalist lead to the founding of the 3rd Republic on the 23rd of July 299. Government Solelhada is a parliamentary republic. The head of state is, nominally, president-for-life Joan Urós - due to his advanced age, however, the everyday affairs of the country are the responsability of Prime Minister Patric Malaussèna and the council of ministers. The legislative of Solelhada is made of the Popular Assembly (Assemblada Populara) and the Senate. The Popular Assembly is elected by direct universal vote. The provinces and districts of Solelhada are divided in sixteen constituencies (Circonscripcions electoralas) (five constituencies in Morangal, three each in La Canabièra Pichona and La Canabièra Granda, while the remaining provinces and districts are considered as one constituency each), and each elects ten deputies to the Popular Assembly. The Popular Assembly is thus made up of 160 seats. The Senate, on the other hand, is made of three representatives from each province, district and territory - in order to preserve the interest of the smaller regions, all of them have three senators each, no matter the population. The Senate is thus made up of 27 seats. The autonomous territory of Los Bedós is a self-governing enclave in the central hills of La Canabièra Granda, inhabited by the descendants of settlers who came from Akitania Berria. Los Bedós is not represented in the Popular Assembly, having its own Territorial Government. The Constitution of the 3rd Republic, adopted in the summer of 299, guarantees the rights of all Solelhadan citizens for a happy life in a sound environment. Thus, the constitution allows only those parties who "struggle for the happiness of all Solelhadans". As a result, courts have outlawed most parties but the ones pursuing the goal of "common happiness": the ruling PdS (Partit del Solelh), chaired by Joan Urós, which is the largest Solelhadan party, and some other minor regional parties, mostly allied with the PdS: Esquerra Republicana de l'Alt Aigadorenc, Partido Comunista Moranguês, Partido Socialista Moranguês, Partido dos Trabalhadores, Unitat Aigadorenca and Es Verds. Diplomacy Solelhadan diplomacy is driven by its strict neutrality, friendship with democratic and socialist states, and a refusal of realpolitik. Solelhada is not a member of the United Nations of Vexillium, which it considers "a body that is the lackey of the more imperialistic and aggressive nations". Instead, Solelhada is an active member of the Association of Neutral Nations in Vexillium, the Council of the Isles of the Meridic Ocean and an observer nation at the Assembly for Peace in the Western Hemisphere. Demographics Solelhada has several main languages, such as Solelhadan (spoken by over 49% of the population), Moranguese (31,5%) and Aigadorenc (11,7%). Even though every province has its own official language, which is used in the fields pertaining to the provincial government (such as justice and education), the majority (40,9%) of the population speaks the central dialect of Solelhadan, which is the language of the ruling party, the government, the armed forces, the national media, etc. There are also small Magyar and Akitanian enclaves on La Canabièra Granda, making up the autonomous territory of Los Bedós. Religion is strictly a personal matter in the Republica Ensolelhada. All citizens are free to conduct private practise of their religion, but public ceremonies are an offence - as such, there are no religious temples in Solelhada. Economy Being a communist state, Solelhada follows an strict central planning of its economy. All enterprises are state-owned, except in the newly-acquired provinces of Morangal and Alt Aigadorenc, where private entrepreneurs are allowed to have up to fifty employees. The currency of Solelhada is the Baiòque (Bq). Since Solelhadan industry is state-owned and heavily subsidised, it is unclear how much a Baiòque is worth with regard to other currencies. In the provinces of Morangal and Alt Aigadorenc, there is still a local hard currency, the Mandas (M). It is unlawful for foreigners to own Solelhadan currency, and for locals to own foreign currency. Also, it is illegal to non-residents of Morangal and Alt Aigadorenc to own Mandas. The Solelhadan economy is heavily dependant on hemp and tourism. The country grows what is considered the best hemp of the world and exports it to several countries where the import of recreation drugs is permited, such as Whiland. The money is used to finance the heavily subsidised Solelhadan economy and the extensive welfare, education and health programmes. Tourism is also a major source of income, as foreigners flock to take advantage of Solelhada's first-rate hemp, beaches, and resorts - foreign languages, especially Ingallish, are widely understood on tourist areas. Hotels, resorts and casinos of Solelhada only accept foreign currencies and the Mandas. Ownership of private cars is frowned upon by the government, both for political and ecological reasons. As a result, almost all Solelhadan vehicles are state-owned, except in Morangal and Alt Aigadorenc, where the road network is more developed. Morangal is the main agricultural region in Solelhada. Maçã and Dàrsena Nova are the main ports in the country, while Darsa Anglesa, on the northernmost tip of La Canabièra Granda, is known as the main terminal for tourist ships and ferries from mainland Longerath. Sports As a proper way to improve oneself, sports are highly encouraged by the Government and the Ministry of Sports has a good share of the state budget. Rugby and association football are the most popular sports in Solelhada. Football in the country is under responsability of the Federacion Solelhadana de Fotbòl, a full member of IVEFA, which manages both the national league system and the national team, nicknamed Los Diables Roges - the "Red Devils". Military The 299 Constitution forbids the use of war as means to achieve national gains, thus the Solelhadan armed forces are used for strictly self-defence purposes. Symbols The official flag of the Republica Ensolelhada is an horizontal bicolour of blue and green with a golden star. According to the Constitution, the colours represents the ever-sunny sky over the bountiful hemp fields of the main islands of Solelhada. The golden star is both a symbol of the sun and of the ruling party, the PdS. This is a state flag, however, so citizens are authorized only to fly the civil flag, made of nine red and golden horizontal stripes with a red triangle and golden star by the hoist. See also: Flags of Solelhada. Category:Nations